SoC to deliver Android-based multimedia HD cams

Ambarella Inc. rolls out a SoC that is tailored to deliver an Android based class of connected multimedia HD cameras. The company claims the SoC will open the door to a new class of "smart camera" capable of high-quality still photography, advanced HD video recording and Internet-connectivity that can run powerful applications, according to Ambarella.

The iOne is based on a triple ARM CPU architecture developed for low-power mobile media applications. Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 CPUs provide the horsepower to run Android applications while a third 533MHz ARM-11 handles real-time camera tasks and enables camera boot time of under one second, according to the company. The iOne's architecture requires only a single x32 DRAM for extremely low power operation and low total system cost.

The 65nm iOne is sampling now to early access customers. Cameras based on iOne are expected to be available in Q3 2011.